If you hate me why did you make me? Pain!
by Alex Warlorn
Summary: Sorry not a MewTwo story, NOT A HUMOR FIC either. Pokemon or rather Team Rocket fans are getting ugly, will Ash and Misty servive? Both Ash and KimiMay antibashing.
1. Storm

pain.html Ok, this was it thought Misty, Movie Four was coming out and she was going to get Ash to pay back her for her bike once and for-oh who was she kidding? You don't chase someone around the explored world and then some into unknown terratory over a bike. She could feel the reason at the edge of her heart and mind, but she didn't even dare think it, her experience with her sisters had taught her you need to be tough to survive in this world and admitting that emotion for her was weakness. They had kicked out Movie Three (which actually required brains to watch) fast to make room for Movie Four this summer because it had more violence and thus, required less brains to watch.   
On another note, she couldn't believe some fan fiction writers were trying to link her up with Gary or Brock. It was strange, when people connected her and Ash she responded with total denial and always felt warmth go to her cheeks. With those two and others, it was simple, annoyance and disinterest. Then she knew it wasn't her, it was Ash he was the deciding factor in the equasion.   
TR fans were getting more and more numerious, and Jessie and James were being made out to be almost good guys! (never mind they'd tried to steal every Poke' Mon they laid their eyes on, or the times they had attacked with the full intention of kill her and Ash. She knew a little about their past, but rotten child hoods did not excuse current misdeeds.)   
"Get the twerp!" Shouted a kid wearing a T-shirt with the TR logo on it. Misty started, there was a dozen Rocketshippers on the city street in front of her, but they weren't looking at her, they were looking at a pummeled shape on the ground they surrounded, "This will teach you to attack Jessie and James with your yellow demon, and forsake your Poke' Mon!" The rocket boy hissed, kicking whoever it was in the gut. Misty then saw a yellow ball of fur several yard away unconscious and under glass just to be safe, Pikachu, that meant: Ash! Misty suddenly felt releaved she had left Togepi along with her other Poke' Mon with Tracy back at the hotel, then it turned to dread. If Rocketshippers were in town then Togepi would be a primary target: 'the evil egg must die' she had read on the internet for people who though Togepi would make a nice omlet just to add a bit of catch phrase to their vow of murder, she felt her spine turn to ice. She didn't understand why they hated Togepi, the reason they gave were reason that could be applies to any Poke' mon, saying her name over and over? Annoyingly cute? You could say that about a Fluffy! Though Brock had returned to his movie spot light and thus elelimanated the only even partshally tangiable reason for hating Tracy, the Poke' Mon watcher was also marked for death, he had just barely avoided a letter bomb a few days ago when they had arrived in the city. She was glade for Todd's sake he had never stayed with the group except for spareing occasions.   
Still no one looked at her. No one was watching pikachu's glass prison either. She ran over and lifted the glass cover. Ash thought of antidote and recover potions as cheating in battles, but Misty had convinced him to carry them when away from Poke' Mon centers at long last. Using some of Kassandra's recently released revive potion Pikachu regain consciousness, his fur was still a mess and blood still matted his coat, but he was conscious and ready to fight.   
"Chu!" It said taking in the situation at once. He didn't need a command to do what he did next. He saw or rather smelled his best friend being pummeled by a bunch of extremist. (a mix of Ash's blood and sent filled the eletric mouse's nose) The attackers where still too preoccupied with killing Ash to notice the angry yelp of a small yellow mouse.   
But they did hear what happened next.   
"PIIIIIKKKKAAAA-CHUUU!" He screamed the lighting surging from his cheek packs onto the attackers, Ash was so smashed into the empty street   
he didn't attract any of the lighting. They all fell under the electric shock. One how ever got back up.   
"Bloody hell. . ." He whispered, it was the one with the TR shirt he had a hint of a British accent, not enough to really notice unless you were looking for it though. His cloths blackened and chard, he looked dangerously at Pikachu.   
"You freaking yellow rat! I was going to kill you when I was done with the Twerp, you annoying, stupid, ugly, deformed, satanic . . . ." He edged toward Pikachu, the Poke' Mon's health had been restored, but not his attack power, and that light bolt would of nothing normally, but Pikachu was weakened and beaten. Misty got ready to protect the Poke' Mon from the dangerous phyco-path.   
"AHHH!" Screamed Ash like an undead leaping from it's grave tackling the enemy. Ash should NOT of been able to move with the beating he had just been given, he should of been struggling just to breath. Ash used his own weight to hold down the boy who wasn't that much older than him Misty realized with shock, Ash punch his face again and again, but he quickly slowed, and stop and then gripped him by the shoulders. Ash banged the still conscious rocket boy's head against the black pavement, but it was obvious his heart wasn't in it.   
Misty gasped. Ash was crying. Ash almost never cried, he was the tough guy, the person who never back down or broke, like her.   
"Why?" He cried. "Why!" He yelled his voice horse. "If John Q. Fanboy hates me so much, then why did the animators draw me?!"   
The rocket boy spat in his face.   
"Because your a retard Twerp! Your so stupid it's mind numbing! We wish you would just die so Jessie the Just and James the Great could be the stars of the show! You've gotten killed twice before! Once on New Island and those fucking stupid Poke' Mon had to bring you back with their freaking tears, then you die in the frozen ocean of the orange island, then Misty does the only stupid thing in her life and drags you and gives you a reason to breath! Dammit! You should get run over by a truck and that would be-" He didn't finish as Misty slammed her mallet as hard as she could on his skull. In the darker part of her mind, she really hoped she had injured him for life.   
"Misty?" Whispered Ash his adrenalin spent, the pain returning, he couldn't be sure it was Misty with that face of animal rage she was wearing.   
Misty's own adrenalin rush ended as she looked at the person she had traveled with for four years.   
"It's me Ash. Don't worry everything's gonna be ok."   
Ash collapsed, he was still holding onto the rocket boy's t-shirt, as he fell on the knocked out assault, a CD player it hit the ground and started playing from the rocket boy's pocket. Misty recognized the words, they were in Japanese, which to be frank where easier for her to understand than English. It was Team Rocket's Theme Song.   
Misty clenched her fists so hard her fingers drew blood. She stamped and crunched the CD player with her sneaker, breaking the casing and cracking the CD, stopping the TR song with an electronic screech, when it had stopped she kick it so hard that it hit a street light and shattered like glass, plastic and electronics going everywhere in a small cloud burst of shrapnel.   
Breathing in deep breaths, Misty Waterflower managed to reach down and pick up Ash with a grunt, oh she wish she wasn't so weak in the arms! Her arms and chest got stained with his jacket, crimson with Ash's own blood. Misty did something she hadn't done since that time her sisters had almost drowned her in the family pool as a joke, she cried.   
Putting one foot in front of the other, she began walking towards the city's local human hospital.   


Should I post it on fanfiction.net? 


	2. Calm . . .

Here because you requested part two. You gave me too much to work with not to do another part. 

She didn't remember when the tears stopped. She was in a haze: time was meaningless. All she could feel was Ash's weight in her arms, and his blood on her skin. She had a vague idea of where she was going; her legs were on autopilot. Doing what they would. She hoped it was towards the hospital.   
When had it gotten like this? When the hero was the center of so many people's hate, and the over used villains were the point of their affection? Misty didn't know. It didn't actually matter whenever it was. The point was that Rocketshippers weren't just content on proving the good points of their 'heroes' they were hell bent on making Ash out to be a retarded, irresponsible, greedy, selfish bastard. And like any fanatic, they pointed out only what they wanted people to pay attention to. Ash's mistakes and shortcomings. It was like some hideous anti version of "It's Wonderful Life".   
Misty would admit, Ash had won some of his battles by luck.   
Namely his rematch with Brock in the rookie's first Gym battle ever, but surprisingly Ash had forfeited that time too. What was she said so long ago? She had signed and said. "Just when he gets a break he decides to be a nice guy too."   
Though Misty wouldn't admit it, Ash was proving himself in the Johto Gym battles. He had realized that since Faulkner's Pidgeot was doing the same attack over and over he could predict where it was going to be next.   
He had surprised Buggy by beating Spinerack by Chickorita, she had said Ash was acting like his "normal" stupid self (she had forgotten that Chickorita didn't learn just plant type attacks and also bug type ironically didn't use primary bug type moves) and then again even more by finding the hole in the power anti fire attack defense Buggy had been so proud of.   
He had stopped Whitney's 'unstoppable' Milktank's roll out attack that second time with a genuine strategy.   
Ash moaned temporary snapping her out of her reflections.   
"It's okay Ash, don't worry, I'm taking you to get some help, just don't move." Pikachu followed close behind, though in Misty's mental state she didn't really notice.   
Dammit! Why did the only road to Pallet Town, Ash's home, have to be straight thought Viridian City, the beating heart of Team Rocket or Rocket Dan? It had become like stepping though a nest of vipers.   
It was ironic, (a lot of things were lately) Rocketshippers often talked about how Ash constantly sidticked (sp) Pikachu on Team Rocket, and how it wasn't fair. Heh, Ash could use any of his pokemon and they still call it unfair. It wasn't like he was the only who sent the rockets in orbit.   
_ [i]___

_"Staryu! Blast Team Rocket into the stratosphere with your water gun!" Snarled Misty.___

_"Dragonite? Use your Hyper Beam." Drake said flatly.___

_"Evee! Rage Tackle attack!" Miky shouted._   
_[/i]_   
And to top it off, they said Jessie and James NEVER intended to kill Ash. (Don't ever use 'never', it's too big a word) Just on occasion hurt him.   
Misty thought back to the pokemon League, and how the Rocket trio had tried to steal the Moltress Torch from the stadium, you did not use a tank mounted flame thrower at someone at point blank range with the intention of seriously injuries them, you did it with the intention to kill them! Or that time when Todd had been holding onto Ash over that drain outlet several feet up, and Jessie and James had taken the chance to throw high explosives at him. You did not do that to someone with the intention to hurt them. You did it to kill them.   
Even when on occasion they tried to do honest work they couldn't resist the urge to cheat. Like during that Sunflora contest or Plant Type Tournament when they had dressed up Meowth as a plant type. Or when James used two pokemon at once during that pokemon entrance examine.   
The only time they did seem to help was when they fought Butch and Cassidy, who were fellow Team Rocket members, but Misty had a feeling it was more a personal score than any sense of right or wrong.   
Ash had had such a sheltered childhood they said, he can't but he good, Jessie and James had had such horrible ones, they can't help but be bad. That was a joke . . .. There was a thing called free will.   
James had spent the early years of his life being chased by Jessiebell. He had joined TR seeking the elegance he enjoyed but couldn't stand how ridged everything in 'high society' was. Now, he was just a dirty thief, with an even more ridged system to follow.   
She had been tormented by three older sisters her entire life and you didn't see her running off to join a crime syndicate.   
Jessie had been born into Team Rocket they said. She never had a choice.   
Tradition was made from people accepting it at each generation. There was always a choice.   
The honorable Team Rocket those guys had called them . . . they should of been comedians, at least it was honesty work they would be good at.   
There was nothing honorable about them, she remember when they had trick Cassie into thinking Ash had only won against her because he cheated. (Never mind he had been in two tournaments and had been the first one to defeat Drake since he had become Orange League Master in ten years and Cassie was just two days into her journey)   
They were doing one good thing at least. They were costing Team Rocket the organization a fortune in all those giant robots. The Mega Mercrow, the Arbotank, the giant Noctowl, the Gargantuan Stantler Robot, and of course the Mecca Wobbafett. (She wondered how many actually got all the Star Blazers spoofs in that thing), she knew if she tried to count all the robots they had bought over the years she would fall asleep.   
She faintly heard a soft 'ding' as her sneakers went over a fake marble floor. Heh, it was funny, she never thought about it before, but her shoes had lighting bolts on them, even before she met Ash.   
She looked around. Her feet had delivered her to the right place after all. It was the hospital. When she stepped into the receiving area people in doctors' uniforms came and did a quick look over on Ash and carted him away on a stretcher.   
One saw the blood on her and asked.   
"As you hurt?"   
"Wha?" She said her senses waking up.   
"Are you hurt!"   
"Huh? No, this is Ash's blood." Normally that would be suspicious, but given the way she had carried him in, no one suspected her of anything.   
A nurse asked her a lot of questions about herself and Ash, what had happened, how long ago, did he have any allergies she knew of? She told them she was his traveling companion and not a family member.   
Pikachu hopped on her shoulders, she didn't realize how tired she was until she landed on a conveniently nearby chair from the tiny extra weight.   
She fell asleep in the chair. Pikachu keeping watch. Under normal conditions pokemon weren't allowed in the hospital walls. But in the emergency ward, no one had time to deal with a yellow electric mouse.   
When Misty woke up from her dreamless sleep she had no idea how long she had been asleep, she hadn't look at the clock tugging in Ash's almost life less bulk.   
Misty asked what room Ash was in and was told he was in the emergency ward; those Rocketshippers hadn't pulled at punches. She asked if she could see him and was told he wasn't allowed visitors. Well, at least she didn't have about someone giving him an exploding vase of flowers.   
The first thing she did once they wouldn't allow her to see Ash was call Tracy, she had left Togepi with him and she was afraid for the little egg's life. Tracy picked up the phone and responded no one had attacked him. She warned him to lock the window and door and to not let anyone in except them.   
Having calmed down and rested, Misty realized just how dirty she looked. Telling Pikachu to stay out of trouble she went to the little girl's room.   
Misty looked in the mirror as she turned on the water from the motion sensitive facet, and realized just how different from her normal self she looked. Her hair was matted with sweet, her face dirty and tears still stained her face, but still, Ash should have recognized her back when she saved him. Of course after the beating he had gotten she wondered if he would recognize his own mother Hanako (or "Delia" in the dubbed).   
Misty thought back to the moment the Rocketshipper extremist had been saying Ash wasn't worth the skin he was wearing, it was crimson haze, all she remembered was this fear for Ash's life, and this burning hatred for the wannabe Rocketeer.   
She wondered, how different had she appeared with that look of animal rage on her face? . . .__

_[i] "Eye for an eye, only makes the whole world blind." [/i]___

_[i] "Turn the other cheek." [/i]_

How different was she really from those monsters that had put Ash in the emergency ward? Could she really say she was better? Now that the fire of emotions had died down in her somewhat, she regretted hoping that she had caused that Rocketeer brain damage. It wouldn't have proved her point. Only prove she was as low on the evolutionary scale as them.   
Character bashing, it was just so wrong. No fictional character in history had ever deserved it truly. There was an old saying, "those who listened to wisdom did not need it, and those who did need wisdom did not listen." 

[i] Mother wanted you to be a kind and merciful person. Do not become the enemy. Do not do as they do. Protect those you love. But do not become what you are fighting against.   
[/i] 

Protect those you love? She had protected Ash just as whole-heartedly as she would Togepi. The boy she had spent years criticizing, taunting, and arguing over the most trivial things. A boy who had been willing to die to stop a senseless battle. (Ash had told her about New Island after he had recovered his memories years later)   
She was convinced Nurse Joy was crazy when she said it meant two people really like each other when they fight a lot. Now she realized he hadn't understood what she had really meant.   
It was not about fighting, it was about . . .. The fact they commutated at all. If she hated Ash so much, why did she even bother talking? Why did he even bother talking?   
She knew why she had stayed with Ash all these years, all she had never mentioned the bike after the Kanto League. No matter what anyone thought of her, no matter what anyone thought of him, she did love him.   
Then a VERY chilling thought occurred to her, emergency ward was reserved for life threatening cases. She hadn't thought of it before. If Ash was in there that meant there was a real chance he was going die . . . 

Misty washed her face, putting her mask of determination.   
_ [i] You aren't going die Ash! I won't let you! [/i]_

Flames, comments, suggestions on what happens next, reactions, occasional constructive crittizem, all welcome. 


	3. Fronts

Hours past. Misty didn't know what to do with herself besides just sitting around. She just felt so helpless! Ash's life was totally out of her hands. Whatever happened now was not up to her. She considered calling Prof. Oak and Hanako, but she knew it was best not to worry them. On the other hand it help them brace for-no! Ash was going to survive. He had survived too much already to get killed from some stupid gang beating. He had fought too long and hard for it to end this simply, this anti-climatic.   
Though Misty often did criticize Ash, she couldn't argue with results. The defeat of eighteen respective gym leaders (herself included), getting eleventh place at the Kanto League on his first try when most newbies didn't make it past round two, all showed she was made of sterner stuff. Then there was Ash's infamous six on six battle with Drake where Ash proved once and for all he wasn't as stupid as his anti-fans tried to make out to be. You didn't beat a decade long champ on luck OR by having your opponent be weak. It was weird, every time the Orange League was brought up, Ash bashers just pretended it wasn't even mentioned.   
Anyone who thought Ash won all his battle through stupid luck or having his opponents be crap needed a serious reality check.   
Why was she mentally defending him anyway? Did she have her own doubts? No. Not anymore. She was just so sick and tired of people saying Ash was no good.   
She remembered something she had read on a message board one time. 

** Y'know what *I* hate? I hate how those twerps have EVERYTHING handed to them on a silver platter! Jessie, James and Meowth have actually *suffered* in their lives, and have helped out jari-tachi more than those brats will ever realize! It's time for a reality check.**

At the time, Misty would have slapped the zealot through the keyboard she had been able to. Now she wasn't so sure. Not about defending Ash: just how to go about it. It just made her so mad!   
Misty suddenly had an urge to laugh maniacally. Jessie, James and Meowth's lives had been crap, but that didn't excuse them for being crap! Heh, she thought back to what she had been thinking a minute ago about how they had said 'Ash beating crap doesn't stop him from being crap'. Misty actually felt like laughing. Ash's battles Rudy and Drake and the like proved that he was anything but crap.   
The rocket trio's lives had been horrible, but that didn't excuse their actions. Horrible lives weren't an excuse, could never be an excuse, if it was, then half the world's serial rapists would go scot-free.   
So she and Ash had perfect lives . . . yea right. And milktank grew wings and flew south for the winter and Lugia was a fire-type. James had had oppressive parents. She had had none. James had one tormentor. She had had three. They may not of been insane like Jessabell. But that made them worse in their own way because they could think coherently.   
Ash had his own ghosts, his own torments, he never showed them, but Misty knew they were there; most of them could be summed up in a name, May.   
And still, even if their lives WERE perfect, she didn't get why everyone treated them so harshly. Misty suddenly remembered a story she had read once.   
'Beggars in Spain', the 'have not's' often had a deep resentment of those that did have, those who had gotten lucky in life, those who had something they didn't, it was all centered on a more basic human concept, jealously.   
Bashers were just an odd bunch even in their harmless form. In the growing group of trainer bashers, one basher even had AJ out as a trainer who worked his pokemon to death and that AJ suckered them all with his 'friendship act'. Never mind all those fanfics were Damian, Charmander's original and neglective trainer, was just misunderstood.   
"Long time no see." Misty was taken out of her melancholy by a female voice standing next to where she had sat down to think.   
The Caucasian girl was around Ash's age, though maybe a few months younger. Blue eyes several shades lighter than her own with uncharacteristic soberness gazed at her.   
If this had not been the pokemon world, her outfit would have been plane outlandish. A red and white bandana with the poke ball symbol design on it toped a head of very light brown hair; the thick bangs reach her shoulders. Her outfit was less daring then Misty's, but was skin tight enough to get certain people's attention.   
Ruby . . . or Kimi as was her anime name. The latest addition the pokemon cast, and Misty's replacement. Misty, had, to be honest, thrown a fit when she was told she was to be given a permanent vacation, not a season long one like Brock had, she knew better than to expect coming back.   
However, Misty didn't hold any of that against Kimi herself, she wasn't to blame. The person to blame was on a higher plane of existence in a business office in Japan discussing the best way to bring the 'Advanced Games' Sapphire and Ruby into the anime.   
They had delayed it as long as possible, including with that stupid Whirl League that they had Ash go on in the middle of the Johto League. But it was time to face the music. The show WAS meant to be a reflection of the game more or less (besides the fact they took out EVERY major event Ash/Red had done in the games and replaced the cool rocket troops with the pea brained rocket-trio) and Misty was two versions behind in the times (strange how they were keeping Brock even though he was from the same version as Misty).   
Kimi was a player character, like Ash.   
"Kimi! I didn't expect to see you here! Did you hear about Ash?"   
Kimi seemed surprised by Misty's news. "No, what happened?"   
"Some Rocketshippers jumped him earlier today. Apparently they got tired of waiting for the network to dump Ash and produce the 'Jessie and James show'."   
"I think I'll stop watching TV at that point."   
"Same here . . . anyway . . . when I found him, he was being beaten to death. They had put Pikachu under glass for later. They were so intent on beating the life out of Ash that they never noticed me. Until I released Pikachu. Ash went berserk on one of the shippers who didn't beat it and asked why they were doing this; the reply was all the normal hate garbage. I knocked the jackass out and brought Ash here as fast I could."   
"I'm sorry." Kimi said flatly.   
"I just feel so helpless! Like any minute someone else could try and kill him, or Tracy, or Togepi, or me! Consider yourself lucky Kimi, you haven't been around long enough for people to hate you."   
Kimi's eyes seemed to set on fire at this. She looked Misty in the face and the water type trainer idly thought how she could smell pancakes on her breath as her replacement ranted.   
"You think I haven't been hurt already Misty? You think that people who hate need a REASON to? Jerks like them just want a reason to hurt something, someone, anything as long as they can vent their anger at it! Take a good look Misty! Take a good long look at how rational people REALLY are!"   
Misty sweat dropped as Kimi, right in front of her in public of the hospital's waiting room unzipped the front of her shirt and turned around to show Misty her back. Misty paled at what she saw.   
On Kimi's smooth and otherwise flawless back were two separate bandage patches.   
Kimi turned her head to face Misty again, tears coming now. "I got THESE from an asshole at the pokemon center yesterday! I was watching TV while it happened Misty! I never saw it coming! If Officer Jenny didn't happen to drop in around that time to have a cit chat with Nurse Joy I would be dead right now!"   
"Stupid rockets." Misty muttered. Kimi slapped her. Misty was too shocked to react.   
"It's wasn't Rockets Misty! It was people who cared about YOU that did _this_ to me!" She pointed at the massive bandages on her back for emphasis. "It was people who are fanatically in love with you! Those who hate ME because they LOVE you! Not everyone with a grudge against a main character is a Rocketshipper Misty! You sooner you realize that the better! The killer had a shirt on with your picture. AND he was spewing garbage about how ­I- was taking YOU away from HIM!" Kimi stopped to catch her breath zipping her shirt back up.   
Misty felt her cheek; the sting on face was insignificant for the pain welling up inside her.   
"I'm sorry . . ." She whispered.   
Kimi sighed, taking deep breaths. "I'm not mad at you Misty, I won't be angry at someone who had no say in something that happened to me. It's just . . . so frustrating. Why Misty? Why? Why don't they ever stop? Why do people always have to find a new reason to hate? A new reason to be hurt?"   
"I . . . I don't know. I don't know if anyone does. If we did, maybe people like you and Ash wouldn't have to worry about people like ­them-."   
Kimi breathed frustrated. "They just make me so angry!"   
The words echoed in Misty's head.   
_They just make me so angry. _They ­make- me so angry. It all clicked into place.   
Misty spoke with conviction and meaning. "Don't let them make you angry Kimi. They don't matter. They don't know you. They have no right to judge you. They only have the power over you that you let them have.   
Weather or not we ever met in the series Kimi, here, out of anime, weather we remember it or not, we're friends. And always will be.   
I just can't believe it took me so long to realize it. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what other people think of you, Ash, or me. It doesn't matter what they say about us. It still won't change who we are. I know who I am. I know what I believe in. And that is enough." 

Flames (where do you think I get all this depressing stuff?), comments, suggestions on what happens next, reactions, corrections, rants, and occasional constructive criticism all welcome.   



	4. Weather the storms

Special thanks to Dragoness, and the anime series Starblazers.  
  
Pikachu is a boy. Read the manga.  
  
"If you think we're going to roll over and play dead, then you've got another thing coming buster." -Ruby, Eternal Blue  
  
~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Misty felt she had profoundly changed in the last few hours. She had seen Ash almost beaten to death by Rocketeers. Now she saw the marks of a fan of hers that had tried to stab Kimi to death. She had naively thought only Rocketeers resorted to violence, now she knew better. Extremists were ugly creatures no matter where they raised their foul heads, weather their cause was just or mislead the end result was always the same, violence, destruction, and when they pressed the issue, death.  
  
It was funny, Misty often criticized Ash for his lack of maturity, but she had been so wrapped up in her own anger that she hadn't even seen those who had beaten Ash as even human. The truth was it was hard to tell anyway.  
  
She wondered if she had judges the rockets themselves wrong. She thought about it.  
  
All anger, hate, and preconceptions aside: Jessie, James and Meowth were thieves, and there was no honor among thieves. The objective of a thief was to wrongfully take something that belonged to someone else, and for that, you had to forsake your honor. She would never understand those who admired people with no honor. But that never meant she wanted them to die!  
  
"Misty?"  
  
"Oh, sorry Kimi I was just thinking."  
  
"About what? Ash?"  
  
"Not exactly. Just how horrible things have gone recently. Rocket fans trying to kill Ash. A fan of mine trying to kill you."  
  
"People need things to hate. Things to vent their frustration at life at. They don't care what the truth is."  
  
"Isn't that being stereotypical?"  
  
"Maybe . . . but it's hard not to be stereotypical when your nose keeps getting rubbed in the underbelly of the other guy's point of view . . . or when it's to someone's profit if the majority think that way."  
  
"Like how in the real world when they had all union workers pegged for communists or how now they're trying to make all pro-life groups into bombers?"  
  
"That about sums it up." The girl whose game name was Ruby replied.  
  
"You know, there's a part of me that keeps wondering if those people are right, what if I do become remembered as just your replacement?"  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it. Ever heard of Sonic the Hedgehog? When they previewed this new character named Rouge: a lot of people thought she was going to be a scheming, selfish . . . maybe that's not the best example."  
  
"You don't have much experience with pep talks do you?"  
  
"No I don't. Self-connivance was one thing Ash never lacked."  
  
Kimi smiled. "Along with determination, faith in his pokemon, a strong sense of right and wrong, love for his friends and family, and the strength of will never to back down from a challenge."  
  
Misty had her dragon lady look. "Hey! Don't tell me you're interested in him!"  
  
Kimi wasn't phased. "Are you admitting that you are?"  
  
Misty blushed. "You're almost as bad as Melody!"  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
Misty sighed. Looking back at the past day. She had to admit it: to others and herself, she was in denial. She did have interest in Ash. Time passed as time will, Misty and Kimi carried on the rest of the day with small talk and comparisons in training techniques. Ash by now was entering his own state of denial. After regaining consciousness, being stuffed with painkillers, and wrapped up like a mummy (at which point the doctors told the Blissy they had done a 'good job' and promptly removed the surplus bandages), he immediately said he was in perfect health and decided to leave the hospital room, he did not get far. After about five paces his legs decided they wanted to go back to sleep and Ash just had enough to time to put out his hands to keep his face from being smashed into the floor.  
  
It was around now that of the Chancy took the protesting Ash and deposited him back into bed.  
  
"Put me down!"  
  
"Chancy!" Whatever you say! She dropped him right on top of the bed and pulled the covers on top of him. Ugh. Ash thought. He had asked for that one.  
  
Misty thanked Celebi and Mew that no one tried anything on Ash's life while he was recovering. This might have something to do with the fact the local officer Jenny had managed to round up the group who had attacked Ash and were now facing charges of assault with intent to kill. They had tried to turn things around saying Ash and Misty had attacked them. Thankfully no one had believed them.  
  
Though Ash claimed he had been ready to leave a long time ago, Misty was happy when Ash was declared fit to leave the hospital. Misty had also made up her mind. She was going to tell Ash how she felt. As soon they got back to Pallet. She wanted his mom there when she told him.  
  
As the foursome left the hospital they pass a few teenagers hanging out in front of a comic shop. It was clear from how they were dressed that they were anime fans. By chance, Ash picked up wind of there conversation.  
  
"And what's with Jessie and James? Can't they settle on a personalities for those guys?" Ash smirked as they continued to walk by. "And how can they keep on losing to a brat whose won all his matches ever on DUMB luck?!" Ash froze dead in his tracks. It took Misty and Kimi a minute to realize he had stopped. Ash slowly turned to face them. If they noticed him, they had chosen to ignore him. Made sense. They considered him less than nothing. He was just another THING to insult.  
  
Ash's anger reflected on Pikachu, who was building up an electric charge. "Hey! I just read the best fanfiction on the net yesterday!"  
  
"What was it?"  
  
"I can quote it all from memory. It goes. 'Ash dies!'" Each of them burst out laughing.  
  
"It would serve him right." One guy snorted. "Him and his electric rat, all she does is zap Jessie and James." Now it was Pikachu's turn to be angry, he had just been called the wrong gender and species!  
  
"Hey. Maybe we're being too hard on him." Injected one guy. "After all, having a retarded mother and a no-talent father can have a big effect on a kid!" Everyone laughed again.  
  
No one called his mother a retard! "Why those rotten slimly-" Ash took a step toward the gang.  
  
Misty took hold of him before he could take another step. "Ash stop!" Ash looked at her like she was crazy. "After all the garbage they've said!?"  
  
Misty looked Ash right in the eyes. "Don't you see Ash!? There's nothing you can say or do that will change their minds! They've already made their decision. They just don't care what the truth is."  
  
Good thing Ash was wearing his gloves, otherwise his nails would have drawn blood by now.  
  
"But-!" He hissed.  
  
"Ash, there's no point to this. The point is that YOU know the truth. They can't change that. You know they're wrong Ash. So don't let their venom get to you."  
  
Ash took another look at the jerks as they kept trading insults about him back and forth. He saw one put on a league cap and make a Hill Billy expression, making sure Ash saw him. Making sure Ash saw him! That was when Ash realized something. They WANTED him to sic Pikachu on them. They WANTED him to get so angry he couldn't think straight. All the while thinking of how later they would throw it in his face using it as 'proof' about how low he was. They didn't care who or what they bashed, as long as they got a reaction out of it.  
  
I'm not going to give them what they want!  
  
Ash relented. "Come on. Let's go home." His three companions looked relieved as they all walked away, ignoring the chucks the other group was blowing, none of it mattered, because they were going home. Home. To those who knew him. To those who loved him.  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
Flames, comments, good or bad, corrections, suggestions, reactions, praise, rants, ideas on what should happen next (very welcome), and the occasional constructive criticism all-welcome.  
  
Spelling corrections also welcome as long as you tell what you think of the story itself too.  
  
Please, don't just write 'MORE!' those reviews kinda leave me empty.  
  
Read ya! 


	5. Face the Dragon

Yes bashers of every loyalty and sub group, the single story you hate most of all is back for another chapter!  
  
I've decided for story cannon to keep with Kimi since the name May is IMHO is a rip off of the name of Gary's sister in the magna.  
  
Hats off to 'To Chance Your Death' for Ash's nightmare of M+G. Also hats off to Gargoyles and Gundam 8TH MS Team.  
  
By the way, someone DID e-mail me a picture like what you're about to read! Some people are just sick! Thank you to ALL my reviewers for giving me the inspiration to continue this.  
  
I know, I know, I still can't spell jack or pokemon names properly, so sue me.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The way between Viridian and Pallet wasn't THAT far, but it was enough that without any wheeled transportation the foursome had to set-up camp half way through.  
  
Misty had bought the latest version of the Poke Gear during the time she had waited for Ash to heal. It had a horde of new features. Not the least of which was wire-less e-mail service. One she was using right now as Kimi looked over her shoulder.  
  
"What're you doing?"  
  
"I'm writing Satoshi Tajiri an e-mail." She explained referring to the Pokemon game's designer. "Since I make an appearance in the Gold/Silver/Crystal games, I figure I can convince them to have me show up in the second season of Pokemon Advanced."  
  
"If we make it that far. Yugioh is pretty much kicking our butts."  
  
"Simpsons 'lost the magic' of being the latest thing years ago and they're still going strong."  
  
"Point taken."  
  
'Ruby' went back to star gazing as Ash concentrated as always on eating. As soon as Misty had finished sending the e-mail, she got a new message. It wasn't from anyone she knew, but her curiosity got the better of her caution when she read the subject.  
  
-See how much the people like you-  
  
She clicked on the e-mail. Misty covered her mouth and pushed the bile back down her throat. It was a drawing of her: naked, being gutted and dismembered by a bear sized pikachu. She deleted the e-mail and cleared her catch before Ash had a chance to see it. He would go on the warpath if he saw that. She had promised herself that she wouldn't let the sickos get to her anymore. And she aimed to keep it. But she knew Ash. He couldn't stand to watch innocents be wronged. That included in particular his friends and family.  
  
Turning the gadget off she silently joined Kimi in stargazing. She thought about why so many people ranted about how stupid Ash was or how the writers rewrote things just to have him win. But no one ever said a single pep about other characters in other animes would were a lot like him but never got bashed.  
  
"Gourry from Slayers is such an idiot. He always has to ask questions about everything!"  
  
"If HE didn't ask questions about what was going on, then the audience would be left in the dark!"  
  
"You know it funny. You know how often they've bent the rules in Yugioh to have Yami win? He beat Rare Hunter by forcing his opponent to play an Exsoida piece and used the trap card 'Chain Destruction'. But it's against game rules to HAVE more than one piece of each of Exsodia in your deck. Then he fought Pandora, Arcana, whatever, he summoned Dark Magician Girl with the Dark Curtin his opponent put onto the field, but in the real game, only the duelist who put Dark Curtin into play can use it. And never once have I heard anyone complain about HIM not being as good as others hype."  
  
How did that line in the Jethro Tull song go? I might make you feel, but I can't make you think . . . Misty now realized the full truth of that statement. No matter what Ash said or did, those who thought he was retarded, weak, evil, all the negatives, would keep thinking that, and react violently to anyone who tried to contradict them.  
  
Less than a mile away but getting closer, following Ash and friends the way a tail follows a Raichu, Team Rocket 'white' were running for their lives away from the far more skilled and able Team Rocket 'black'. The confrontation had started normally enough. But it had quickly turned worse than ugly.  
  
"You losers have disgraced Team Rocket long enough." Cassidy had said right to their faces. (Right after the standard Rocketeer introduction of course.) "The Boss gave us orders to terminate you. He's sick of the black hole you three have made in Team Rocket's checkbook! All those giant robots don't come cheap you know!"  
  
"We didn't use that many!"  
  
Cassity rolled her eyes, and started counting off in her fingers. "The mecha Magicarp, the mecha Gayrados, the robot Wobbafett marks one and two, the Meowth power suit, the super Meowth battle robot, the robo-pincher, the giant steel Ryhorn, the fake Kangastar, the jumbo sized bug catcher." She had to start over. "The metal Stantler, those three digging robots, the Medapod tank, the Arbo-Tank, the robot Mercrow, the super Noctowl, PLUS all the weapons you barrowed and over the last four years you haven't managed to bring one useful pokemon back to Team Rocket HQ!"  
  
"We caught plenty!"  
  
"Then where are they . . . ?"  
  
"Well, uh, . . . those cheating twerps took them all back!"  
  
"Yea they always cheat! They use stronger pokemon than we got or always think of smart ways to use weak ones to beat us! It's not fair! They think just because we steal everything that we should give it all back! It's just wrong I tell ya!"  
  
"So in other words . . . they're better than you."  
  
"That's not true! We've just never been to beat them in a face to face conflict!"  
  
Cassidy groaned. "How did you moron even make it into Team Rocket? At least it won't matter in ten seconds."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Radacate. Hyper Beam!"  
  
Luckily for Jessie, James and Meowth, they had gotten plenty of practice running from all the angry mobs that always came after them whenever the rockets pulled one of their money making cons. Thus the Hyper Beam only scorched the heels of Jessie and James boots, but Butch and Cassidy were not ones to ever give up easy. Plus, squashing bugs was something Cassidy had always enjoyed as a child, and she saw this assignment in the same light.  
  
The blond grinned. "Now this is the fun part."  
  
The masked man said nothing. He only used the flamethrower on the rocket trio. Ash would have done anything just so he didn't have to hear those screams. Even more so not to have see the ghastly imagine being forced through his eyes. He tried to close them but they refused, he tried to cover them but his arms were limb at his sides ignoring him. Even as the rocket's flesh was still melting from their bones, the masked man turned the weapon on Ash and his companions.  
  
It was amazing Ash didn't scream when he woke up. Instead he was just covered in sweat, breathing haggardly. What a nightmare. He didn't think his nightmares could get that horrible. It was almost as bad as that time he dreamed of Misty kissing Gary. Where the heck had that mental image come from anyway? While he did hate Team Rocket's guts he had never wanted them to die! Someone else might have contributed it to Ash having pigged out just before going to bed. But as a boy who spent most of his life dreaming, Ash had learned to recognize the significance of dreams. So what was the point?  
  
Ash thought about how close to death he had come back in Viridian at the hands of Rocketeers, and Kimi's own brush with death with a follow of the other extreme. The dream might have had something to do with Misty's words from the day before and the revelation with Kimi's attack. The people who slandered his mother just after he left the hospital weren't after him. Not really. They weren't even after pokemon. They were 'after' period. Those had just been looking for someone, someTHING, to bash, to deface, to provoke. And Ash, being the headstrong kid that he was would have played right into their hands if Misty hadn't been there to help him see straight. Misty. She helped him out more times than he could count when he started on his adventure. Just about as often she put him down. And yet she stood by him through thick and thin. Funny, his relationship with Pikachu had been about the same way, first aggression, then necessarily, then friendship. What was the next step?  
  
What was that faint whine? Though Ash had never heard one, the only real comparison would be the sound of a mosquito as it closed in on its target. Pikachu's ears perked and the little electric mouse rose from sleep hearing the same sound. It was getting loader, as it did, Ash could pick up different tones in it, they sounded familiar. After twenty three seconds of the noise rising in power Kimi and Misty woke up.  
  
Misty off course was the first to complain. "What the heck is that?" Getting up Kimi looked around, trying to zero in on the noise. "I don't know." She put one hand on her hip and pointed in a direction. "But it's coming from that way." As you can guess, the source of the sound chose that moment to blast right behind Kimi's back, the drag wind causing the girl to turn her head to get a good look at the back side of tree very familiar pokemon thieves.  
  
The sound was a constant, unwavering, triple sourced terror filled scream of cowardice whose makers raced right past Ash and crew without so much as a glance. It was doubtful the screamers even saw the trainers; they were blazing a trail right through the woods at a speed that would put the pioneers to shame as the huge dust cloud behind them laid testament to. Misty breathed out looking bored. "I wonder who caught them selling fake whatever this time."  
  
Ash yawned hoping his dreams would be more peaceful this time around as he leaned back onto his sleeping bag. "Probably some imitation TMs or something like that. Unless it's a lynch mob be sure to give their chasers the right direction okay?"  
  
Kimi and Misty sweat dropped as Ash went back to sleep. Ash had just entered dreamland when the roar of a jeep engine struck him back awake. He knew it was jeep engine because in half the intro time Jessie and James took with their yell, a black off road jeep with a red 'R' painted on it's hood came into the scene. The land rover was being driven by Butch, with Cassidy in shotgun.  
  
Butch yelled to his partner clearly enjoying himself. "And you said I was stupid for bringing this along!"  
  
Leaving deep tracks in the dirt the more experienced rockets drove off not even looking in the kids' direction.  
  
Kimi wondered what that had all been about but decided to sleep on it, Ash got up again followed by Misty getting out of their night cloths and into their  
  
normal attire as fast as possible. "What are you guys up to?" Kimi asked confused.  
  
"We're going after them. Whenever Butch and Cassidy are around, it only means trouble. And it always of a worse kind than anything Jessie and James could come up with."  
  
Kimi took this all in. "Butch and, you mean those Rockets who just went by us?"  
  
Misty answered. "You got it."  
  
"But I don't get it. They're all Rockets. Why are they fighting among themselves?"  
  
"Butch and Cassidy seem to be favorites with Team Rocket, Jessie and James just the opposite. I think it's a sibling rivalry taken to it's extreme. I'll be honest: I DON'T know what makes them tick. But whenever those idiots are going up against Butch and Cassidy, it's never failed to pay off to help them."  
  
"But they're the enemy!" Kimi exclaimed.  
  
Ash looked her in the eye. "That doesn't mean we have to be as bad as they are." Uncharacteristically he remembered what had happened to her back in Viridian and pieces came together. Ash did what he always did, and what he could never figure out why it was so hard for other to do. He spoke from the heart. "Kimi. I know it hurts. I know you don't want to. That it would be easier to just let things play out so the people who hurt you were hurt back. But that's not right. And besides, life isn't meant to be easy."  
  
Kimi sighed. Ash was right. It was funny how Ash could be so sense dense in the head, yet so soft in the head. Maybe that was what made him who he was. And Kimi had to admit, she wouldn't have him any other way. Looking down the trail the rockets had made she realized something else as well. "How are we ever going to catch up to them? We'll never run fast enough to meet up with them."  
  
Ash flashed that crazy smile he got when he knew something an opponent didn't. "Who said we were going to run?"  
  
Maybe he had gone crazy. "Huh?"  
  
Ash just kept on smiling. "It pays to have friends everywhere."  
  
While rocket white was giving Butch and Cassidy a run for their money, the simple fact remained that running through a dense forest in a straight line would sooner or later lead you straight into a "Dead end!" The ghoulish trio shouted as one. Indeed, their running had led them to a solid rock cliff. James, of course, tried a couple times to climb but it was no use, the rocks crumbled underneath his gloves, his couldn't get a grip, in any sense of the word, he was falling apart at the seems.  
  
Death came on four spring-coiled tires their executioners exiting their vehicle.  
  
"So." Said Butch in his frog voice. "Ready to die and raise the planet's average IQ a few points?"  
  
James squeaked his adapt lying skills forsaking him at this time. "I-I-I I'm not s-scared of you Botch!"  
  
The green haired man blinked and ranted so close to James' cowering face the lesser rocket could smell Butch's dinner. "It's Butch! Dammit! How many times do I need to tell you before it gets through that thick empty head of yours it's Butch! Butch! B-U-T-C-H!!"  
  
"Calm down." Said Cassidy. "It's not like it going to matter in a few seconds anyway."  
  
"That's what you said before they took off running last time."  
  
"Oh shut up!" Cassidy was NOT going to fall under the same idiotic weakness of Team Rocket white and end up fighting with her partner in crime.  
  
"I just want to enjoy the moment."  
  
"Enjoy it AFTER the job's done! Now Radicate! They have nowhere to run this time. Ready! Aim! Fire!"  
  
"Quick Attack!" A feathered hit the rat square in the jaw causing it fall over backwards its Hyper Beam hitting the jeep dead center. Butch and Cassidy looked at the flaming wreckage in disbelief for one second before looking at the cause of the giant cut that was going to be in their pay check that month.  
  
Ash had like his friends first thought this was just the normal rocket in- fighting. But hearing Butch's words put this on a whole new level. This was no gang cockfight; it was going to be murder.  
  
"Don't you dare take a step closer towards them." Ordered Ash and friends stepping off Pigeot. It had been a gamble that his friend would hear him. But he had had faith in her.  
  
Cassidy couldn't believe it. Was this brat magnetically attracted to them or something? "Out of the way kid. This isn't any of your concern." Ash didn't move an inch. "You don't have the right to do this!"  
  
"This is Rocket business!"  
  
"How can you be so soulless?"  
  
No one talked back to her! "Oh and you are so perfect, the incarnation of God on Earth fit to judge all who pass before you."  
  
"I never said I was perfect, I never said I was God. I'm just doing what I have to do, save others."  
  
"Trying to be a hero huh?!"  
  
"You CAN'T make yourself a hero! Only other people can do that!"  
  
"Then what are you doing?"  
  
"Like I already said! Saving lives! From the likes of you!" Cassidy kept on sneering. "Oh the righteous and pure one whose the personification of the law!"  
  
"I told you I never said I was pure! I get caught up in the moment. I don't think ahead as often I should. BUT I'M MORE PURE THAN YOU COLD BLOODED BASTARDS!"  
  
"You little! Radicate! Change of targets! Hyber Beam the short little punk!"  
  
"Pikachu! Thunder Storm!"  
  
"Thunder Storm?" Indeed, three separate Thunder attacks all came down on the black rockets with more to follow, they didn't stop until Team Rocket Black with their pokemon were in a heap on the ground twitching.  
  
"That . . ." Cassidy hissed. "That attack isn't approved by the Pokemon League!"  
  
"I hope you can appreciate the irony of what you just said." Ash spat. "This wasn't a pokemon match! You were using your pokemon with the intent to murder someone!"  
  
"I won't be talked down to by a little. . . ." Cassidy fainted.  
  
The moment she did Ash got to his hands and knees and breathed in deep and out again, gathering himself. "Being a good person. Doesn't mean you have to be afraid to fight for what's right."  
  
Misty put her hand on Ash's shoulder. "Ash it's okay." Misty didn't understand why Ash was like this. That fight had been over in a flash.  
  
"It's just, everything she said to me . . . "  
  
"Forget about her Ash. The corrupt always want to see the pure hearted in worst possible light. It's their way of telling themselves they're not all that bad."  
  
Ash looked up in Misty's eyes. "Pure hearted? Me? But-"  
  
Misty put a finger to his lips. "You make mistakes. You're human. You're not perfect. But you know what's right and what's wrong, and you do what's right. Or at least, that's what I believe."  
  
Misty used her Poke Gear to call the local officer Jenny to pick up Rocket Black. The water type trainer didn't know why she and Kimi had just stood there when Ash faced off against Cassidy. She felt like it would have been intruding somehow. She didn't know, besides they had other things to deal with.  
  
The rocket trio looked at the kids unbelieving. They had watched the entire event as if in a dream. But weren't dreams supposed to end? "You . . . saved us? Why? . . . "  
  
Kimi spoke up since Ash didn't seem up to it. "If you have to ask . . . then you'll never understand."  
  
"But . .. but . . but you try to kill us every time we meet! That's why you always have your electric mouse attack us!"  
  
Misty was very proud of herself for not punching James' nose in. "Then why are you dummies still alive?"  
  
The trio looked at each other stupidly. "Uh . . . can we get back to you on that . . . ?"  
  
When the police officer and her team arrived they shipped the black rockets into the van on stretchers. Pikachu's attack had done a number on them.  
  
"They attacked us first . . . " Butch mumbled as he was put in. Jenny rolled her eyes and thought. And Ho-Oh is a water type. She looked at Misty. "Seem like an open and shut case of self defense. I don't think you have anything to worry about. However I'll confess that this isn't the first time I've put these punks in a jail cell. They might be out in a few days if the normal cycle go through with them getting right to bail."  
  
The white rockets all spoke as one. "We'll testify! We have dirt that'll put make sure they'll stay put!"  
  
The human ones at least. "What are you doing!?!" Meowth screamed. "We can't tell them anything or the Boss will have our heads!"  
  
"Shut up!" The rockets pushed their pokemon partner down. "The Boss has abandoned us! At least this way we'll be somewhere safe!"  
  
"Bring them along." Said Jenny to her male officers.  
  
After declining a ride from Jenny the three pokemon trainers and two pokemon found themselves alone again. Ash just keep looking at the ground from a close view. Ash was just sick of it. He was sick of taking beatings. And yet he was also sick of fighting back. Why couldn't any of them just leave him alone? He just wanted to live his life. Was that so wrong? So sick, so tired, if only he didn't need to fight. Misty looked into Ash's eyes. "Ash, are you okay?"  
  
Ash sounded just like a child who had been lost all alone in the deep dark bad forest for too long. "I wanna go home." He pleaded.  
  
"Don't worry Ash. We're also there. You're mom is there waiting for you you'll see. Now come on, let's keep going okay?"  
  
Ash whispered. "Okay."  
  
After giving Pigeot a farewell hug the crew began marching again upon restriving their camping supplies; they knew they weren't getting back to sleep tonight.  
  
Kimi spoke up. "I still don't get something. You know Jessie and James are going to be back to trying to steal Pikachu before the week is out." Ash said without hesitation. "Yea."  
  
"And they won't be any nicer to any of the people they con when they get out."  
  
Ash repeated himself. "Yea."  
  
"So what was the point of helping them like that?" Ash looked at Kimi in surprise. "Kimi." He started to say more but closed his mouth and looked on at the road ahead.  
  
Kimi's own words came back to haunt her. [I] If you have to ask you'll never understand. [/I] Kimi was really glade she didn't have to look in a mirror any time soon as a single tear went down her face, unseen by the others since she was in the back of the pack. I won't cry anymore. I won't break anymore. One day at a time. That's all I can do. And I won't become what I hate.  
  
Ash meanwhile now realized there would always be people like that, ones eager to believe the worst of others to make themselves feel better. Sickos who would rub other people's noses in the sickos' filth and call it justice. Those who would draw monsters on the mirror, and flash it in people's faces.  
  
Ash looked at his own two hands. But as long as I have faith in myself, and those who care for me. I won't let their horrors worm into my soul and devour me from the inside out until I'm something as ugly and obscene as they are. I trust Misty. I trust my mother. They say I am good. I put my faith in them. I'll put my faith in those I love.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Flames, rants, comments, reactions, reviews: good or bad, praise, denouement, suggestions (very welcome) and occasional constructive criticism all welcome.  
  
But leave the four letter words at home: they make you look stupid, not me.  
  
Please don't just write, 'MORE!' those reviews leave me kinda empty.  
  
If you have an axe to grind with a review I wrote you, USE MY E-MAIL, I leave it open for a reason! 


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